Product Review… Hitachi CP-X10000 Projector

In Uncategorizedby tfwm

The Hitachi Business Group has recently introduced the CP-X10000 3LCD Professional Series projector. The CP-X10000 projector is the first model in Hitachi’s new 3LCD Professional Series. This new line of projectors promises high quality imaging at a reasonable price.

For those of you who have had any education on projectors in general, you’ll know that Hitachi is already the workhorse of quite a few conference centers and classrooms across the nation. Their reputation for high value at a reasonable cost precedes them.

In this case I knew what Hitachi was good at and could only hope that the quality of a larger projector would rival its little brothers and sisters. Let me just show you all of my cards up front. I was not disappointed and I’m sure that you will not be either. This is only the first unit in their new series of projectors. These new units boast 3LCD Technology. Now for those of you who are scratching your heads, 3LCD is a sophisticated, innovative technology that utilizes 3 chips to deliver vibrant, true-to-life images with “out of this world” color. If any of you are familiar with the difference in 3-chip video versus single chip video, you’ll be able to connect the dots real easy. In short, great clear image and really lifelike vibrant color.

Initial Impression
Upon opening the box I saw a unit that looks like any of this projectors predecessors, except this one was on steroids. Nice familiar look, but a good size. I took it out of the box, installed the lens, hooked it up to my laptop and began playing with its features. After hooking it up and running through the controls I decided to give it the true test for any “House of Worship” application; I put it all back in the box and dropped it off to my “not-so-tech-savvy-pastor-friend” and let him use it for a week. Actually my test would be done within the first 15 minutes of leaving it with him. Within the hour he called me and not only had it completely set up and ready for his service, but was also begging me to let him keep it. My first point is that if you are in a smaller church without a Tech Director, don’t be afraid of this unit. Nice sleek look, easy to operate and a great output image.

Features
On to some of the tech specs; we begin with a brightness of 7,500 ANSI lumens as well as a 2500:1 contrast ratio. This makes for a nice clear and vibrant picture that is quite unbelievable. The CP-X10000 also features a 10,000-hour filter. Hitachi claims that this makes maintaining the projector easier than other models. I’ll state that it requires maintenance less often, however, assuming it’s flown from a thirty to forty foot ceiling, I wouldn’t necessarily call it easier.

Another cool feature is the projectors “My Image Campus Notification System”. This Anti-theft feature includes a security bar and transition detector. This is certainly a nice touch, but again, assuming it’s hanging from a thirty to forty foot ceiling…

If you’re wondering about distance to your screen and where you’re mounting it, the CP-X10000 projector has six bayonet-style lens options, which offer a wide range of throw distances. These lenses range from an “Ultra Short Throw” lens to an “Ultra Long Throw” lens. No matter the size of your worship center, there should be a lens for you. Other features include; a RS-232 network bridge for serial pass through, along with a mechanical shutter for blank mode. The CP-X10000 also offers Closed Captioning functionality.

The Actual Test drive
As far as the actual hands on, we all know that the best projectors give us the least amount of hands on. I used this for about a month in a small church and then for a couple of weeks in a medium size Theatre environment. No matter what the application that I used it for, the CP-X10000 just projected an extremely clear and realistic image. Not to revisit the tech specs, but the 7,500 ANSI lumens along with the 2500:1 contrast ratio gives you a high quality projected image, even in a fairly well lit room. I ran this in my high school classroom (I teach Digital Video Technology) and after using it for a little more than a week it was hard to go back to my old unit, which is a lower powered Hitachi, which I have no complaints about. The reality is that the unit is easy to use, simple to understand and operate, and that’s exactly what every church needs in a projector.

Wrap Up:
The super clear image, along with features that will thrill the professional AV crowd, make this an obvious choice that will not disappoint. Add to all of this the fact that Hitachi has a 24-hour Service Hotline and 48-hour replacement on hardware, makes this unit a high value with an overall low cost of ownership. Regardless of the size of your worship center, the options Hitachi gives with this unit puts it on the list of projectors that you really need to consider. As one who gets to review a lot of AV gear, it’s hard to get excited about a projector; however, the new Hitachi CP-X10000 is really something to get excited about. In short, if you are in the market for a professional projector, you are really going to want to take a serious look at the new Hitachi.